Rejected Reality
by The Paper Wolf
Summary: *Revised* Just how far does the hurt go? She was always in so much pain, but she never said a word. No one said it was easy, but they never said it would get this hard... BrooklynxOc He needs the love!
1. A Howl That Doesn't Cry

Chapter One: A Howl that Doesn't Cry

_She doesn't fit in... _

_She's in too much pain,_

_To survive on her own!_

_She's fighting a fight,_

_She knows she can't win!_

_Every kindness from you,_

_Might've saved your life..._

It was a miserable night for Brooklyn. Summer had only just settled down into New York; making the nights for them just as unbearable as the days had been for the humans. True, there was a breeze blowing throughout the city, but not even the wind was enough to counter the suffocating weather. It was almost as if Mother Nature was telling the city itself that something was coming.

Brooklyn was out at the East end of the city, patrolling was a lot more tricky now that the criminals were dominating the city. And with Bronx, Eliza, and Bronx still missing, it also meant that he and his fellow clan mates had to use extreme caution when protecting the city.

The night-time guardian turned a corner to look for a safe place to land so he could rest his tired wings. His warrior senses caught the glimsp of a teenaged girl walking down the sidewalk.

She appeared to have matched Brooklyn height for height when he stood up straight. She had pure silver hair with blood red colored bangs. Her skin was as pale as the moon and would've been flawless had not for the nasty scar that curved around her left eye. (TPW: Doesn't that sound familiar?)

The girl wore simple black pants with a white tank top that was covered by a black jacket with strange markings that he couldn't read on the back and shoulders. The red gargoyle couldn't make out all of the effects, but he noticed a pair of black cuff bracelets on her wrists and a necklace jumping with each step she took. He saw that she had a brown fair-sized messenger bag at her side with the same kind of strange lettering written on it like her jacket.

Something inside his mind told him to follow her. Just to make sure she wouldn't run into any trouble. He knew the dark-side of humanity, and he knew what they'd do to the weaker ones in the city.

The girl walked past a random alley, and stopped and turned her head. She aligned her body with her head, and walked into the alley. The brick-red gargoyle shook his head and jumped across the alley and followed her.

At the end of the alley, Brooklyn found a small band of thugs destroying a few innocent gargoyle statues; cheering at their cowardly acts, and making him mad in the process.

The girl picked up a piece of the statue and chucked it on the back of one of the bad guys; causing them to be on alert.

"I really wouldn't want to do that if I were you." She spoke in a mild warning; giving them a playful glare. "Those gargoyles are nothing more than mere statues. They only protect the house from evil spirits and bad luck. An old Irish folk tale, I believe."

The first laughed evilly at the girl and rolled his hands into loose fists. "And just what are you going to do about it, girlie?" He asked in a taunting tone, taking a step towards the girl, slamming his hammer in his open palm.

"Well, I probably should first call the police, but honestly, I don't really think they'd do much to you about vandilizim if you ask me." The girl said in a mocking tone; pretending to think about the possibilities. "But then if you don't stop destroying other people's property, I guess I'll just have to show you why you should be afraid of the dark."

The group of men laughed at the girl's threat, and let down their guard. "And why should we be afraid of the dark, little girl?" The leader asked as he stepped forwards and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Why should we be afriad of the dark?"

The woman ducked down quickly, and swept the group off their feet; sending them to the ground. "If you want to get technical, it's not the dark you should be afraid of..." She said in a creepy tone, smiling faintly at the men getting back up on their feet.

The leader rubbed his chin in annoyance and glared at the girl before him. "And what should we be afriad of then? You? Those statues? Give me a break!"

The girl smirked wickedly and dropped her bag; throwing it against the wall, and grabbed the man's hand, and flipped him backwards with just one arm. A second man charged for the girl, and a second one charged from behind her. She smiled faintly and jumped over the man who's rushing from the front's head and landed gracefully on top of a dumpster; causing the two to crash into each other. The girl crouched down on the dumpster like a demon ready to fight. Her eyes began to glow a hateful red and her mouth bore a set of demon-like fangs; making her look more wicked, as she sat on top of the dumpster.

"_I'm _the reason why you should be afraid of the dark!" She shouted as she jumped off the dumpster and launched herself towards the leader; sending him to the ground for a second time. She got off of him, when she saw the other man getting back up and surrounding her.

She lowed her head and relaxed her body. She looked back at her foes behind her with a wicked glare. "Oh, Look!" She said in a nasty tone as she turned to them; hissing evilily than before. "You came back for more! So unwise..."

And with that, she charged for the men with what looked like pair of long pointed claws. Brooklyn gasped when he saw her slash at one of their chests; ripping the cloth uniform and sending him to the ground. She looked over her shoulder and smiling a twisted smile, as she she clawed at the other man's face with such a force, it smacked him against the dumpster.

She stood upright and turned to the leader with an evil glare. "Now you know why you should be afraid of me..." She said, as she began slowly walking over towards the men. "Leave now, and stop this childishness! Act your age and not your shoe size."

The man began shaking and swinging madly at the girl in a vain attempt to keep her at bay. The girl smiled faintly at the man's attacks and kept evading him with ease. He got a lucky shot in, and struck the girl's scared eye.

She howled in pain, and staggered backwards; tripping over a fair-sized rock. The man got a better position, and walked over towards the girl. He pulled a hammer out from behind his belt, and raised it over his head.

Brooklyn flared up his wings and jumped into action. He landed to the side of the group, and barred his fangs at them.

"It's a monster! Get him!" The leader shouted frantically, causing the others to go after him.

The girl gasped at the sight of Brooklyn. His fangs barred like hers, his claws out-stretched just the same as hers just a moment ago! It was almost as though she was looking into some sort of mirror!

Brooklyn managed to throw the leader into the dumpster, but the others decided to jump onto his back and pull him down onto the muddy ground with a harsh hiss.

The woman made a split decision and jumped into the fight, knocking a man into the wall; rending him unconscious. A second thug got the upper hand and sent her flying into the wall opposite from the fight; knocking her out cold.

Brooklyn looked back at the girl lying against the wall with a bleeding from her side. He looked back and snarled at the group of men standing before them. He jumped in front of the group, and punched one to the ground, but the one on the left slashed his right arm with a knife he quickly drew from his back. He roared in pain, and looked down at his arm. He knew he had to win the fight, and he had to win now.

He bum-rushed the attackers and sent them hurdling into either the dumpster or crashing into the wall beside it. He grabbed his arm as he went over towards an overhead fire escape ladder; pulling it apart, he bent the steel around the two lying helpless on the ground, and sat them up on the dumpster where the others were.

He turned to the woman and quietly walked over to her. He pulled her into a proper sitting position to get a better look at her injuries. He heard her moan and roll her head backwards to reveal a strange metallic collar of some kind that appeared to be bolted to around her neck. He winced at the sight and felt something wet under his claws, and saw blood ozzing from her injury.

"I've got to get her to a hospital!" He whispered in an angry hiss. He gathered the girl and her bag into his arms, and stood upright.

The girl hissed and coughed in pain. "Please..." She struggled to say; holding her hand up into the air in a vain attempt to reach out for something. "No hospitals... They'll... find me faster..." She coughed once again, and passed out completely in her protector's arms; leaving the world of the living and falling deeper into the darkness.

With that warning in mind, Brooklyn ran out of options fast. Not having much choice, he wrapped his tail around the girl's waist, and proceeded to scale the wall. Once he made on the roof (proving to be very difficult with extra weight in his arms), he jumped off into the air; towards the clock tower that sits above the New York Police Station. Towards home...


	2. Deadly Games 12

Chapter Two: Deadly Games 1/2

_There might've been a time,_

_when I would dance with the Devil..._

_I knew the sequences well enough!_

_I've watched others rise and fall before me!_

_This one is nothing special..._

_They can't kill what's not theirs..._

_It's my turn to go..._

_My voice will be heard tonight!_

Brooklyn's clanmates were standing outside of the clock tower while they waited for him to come back. Hudson had stayed behind to keep watch in case Goliath and the others would come back. Broadway and Lexington had came back to find that Brooklyn hadn't returned yet. The sun was at least a few hours away, and they were all worried about him; not knowing what had become of him.

"Maybe he lost track of time and had to stop for the night?" Broadway suggested in an unsure tone; not believing himself.

"Aye, laddie," Hudson spoke up in a firm tone; holding Eliza's cat in his arms as he walked out of the clock tower, "He knows how to take care of himself. He'll be back before dawn."

Lexington looked down at his clawed feet for a moment, and something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He hopped over to the edge of the balcony, and got a closer look at the tiny speck coming their way. He gasped when he saw it was his oldest rookery brother; struggling to stay air-borne while carrying something in his arms.

"There he is!" The tiny yellow gargoyle shouted in an excited tone; pointing out to the image now clearly Brooklyn gliding towards their home.

Hudson stood by the youngest gargoyle's side, and looked out towards the direction Lexington was pointing at. "I wonder what he's got in his arms..." He stated in a curious tone; balancing the tiny cat in his to scratch his white beard in thought.

Brooklyn reached out and grabbed the edge of the stoned wall; digging his claws into it, as he held on with all his remaining strength. "I need some help!" He called out to the others in a struggled grunt.

Broadway and Lexington rushed over to Brooklyn and grabbed his hand. Brooklyn gripped the edge of the balcony and shook his head in desperation. "Not me! Get her!" He called out in a paniced tone; holding the injured girl out for someone to take from him.

He sighed in relief when he saw Lexington grab the girl's jacket, and hoisted her up to safety. Broadway pulled Brooklyn up and let him fall onto the ground, and rested his back against the cold, hard stoned wall behind him and the girl he brought back with him. He tried to catch his breath, and watched Lexington and the others crowded around the two.

"What happened to ya, lad?" Hudson asked in a worried tone; looking from the bloodied girl, then to Brooklyn, whom was still trying to catch his breath.

Brooklyn took a deep breath and shook his head. "I'm not really sure what happened." He told them in a confused tone, "I was out looking for anything that might lead us to where Goliath and the others were, and the next thing I know, this girl was standing up to a bunch of thugs destroying statues."

Lexington looked over at Brooklyn for a moment, and back to the unconscious girl lying in front of him. He clawed over to her and looked her over. "She looks pretty beat up." He replied in a worried tone. He looked back up at Brooklyn with a curious expression written all over his face. "Why didn't you take her to the hospital?" He asked, looking back down at the girl.

Brooklyn shook his head and sighed in defeat. "That was what I thought I was going to do, but she told me not to take her there. She said something like, _"They'll find me faster."_ just before she passed out. I didn't know what else to do!"

"Who is she? She's got to have something to tell us who she is!" Broadway reasoned in a bewildered tone; scratching the top of his head.

"Why wouldn't she want to go to the hospital?" Hudson asked in a curious tone; not taking his eyes off the girl.

Brooklyn leaned over the girl and pulled her jacket down to reveal the collar around her neck. "I think this might have something to do with it." He said in an angry tone.

Lexington tore himself away from the girl's side, and hopped over towards Brooklyn. He grabbed the bag he dropped earlier and began looking through; not taking anything out; trying his best to satisfy the others' curiosity.

Brooklyn noticed something hanging from the front of the girl's bag and reached out to hold it up. "Hey, what's this?" He asked as he pulled up a plastic tag from the strap of the bag.

Lexington placed the bag down and moved the tag up so he could read it. "It says her name is Kori O'Shannon." He answered in an unsure tone.

Just as he spoke the girl's name, her eyes shot open; glowing a bright red. She sat upright like a robot coming to life; her eyes leaving a red trail as she moved. "Whoa!" He cried as he fell backwards on his rear.

Once she seemed to "awaken", she began panting for breath; not noticing the trio and Hudson surrounding her. She closed her eyes tightly and grabbed her throat; gasping for breath. It was almost like she was waking up from a nightmare.

"Uh- you okay, Kori?" Brooklyn asked in a gentle tone; trying his best not to scare the girl in front of him.

"Did anyone get the number of that wall that just hit me?" She asked in a joking tone; breaking out into a rough cough. She gasped and looked up at the group around her, and gasped at the gargoyles' appearance before her. "I'm dead, aren't I?" She asked, not believing her eyes.

Brooklyn looked over at his clanmates in confusion. "You're not dead. You were attacked by some thugs, and I saved you. Don't you remember?"

The girl, or "Kori" looked down at the hardened ground before her. "I remember it all... My mind is more advanced than normal humans in this world."

"Which brings us to our next question, lassie," Hudson stated in a firm tone; careful not to frightened the girl next to his temporary leader, "If ye not be human, then what are ye then?" He asked in a kind of fatherly tone; placing his hands on his hips.

Kori looked up at the old gargoyle, and shivered. "You're right, I'm not human..." She answered in a riddled tone. "I come from a long line of magical folk. When I was strong enough to leave on my own, I came here to America for oppurtunites. To have a normal life. And because I was different, these strange men dressed in black took me away. The next thing I knew, I was like this- _monster_ you see before you." She answered in a nasty tone; allowing her eyes to glow red with anger and her claws extended to prove her point.

"I don't think you're a monster, Kori." Brooklyn replied in a saddened tone; placing an understanding hand on her shoulder from her left.

Kori laughed slightly; showing her fangs to Brooklyn. "So, what do I call you lot?" She asked in a light hearted tone; her eyes turing a soft gentle light to him.

"I'm Brooklyn." He said in a proud tone; pointing to himself with a happy smile and glad that the girl wasn't afraid of him. "This is Broadway, Lexington, and Hudson." he stated; pointing to each gargoyle as he adressed them.

The little gray cat rubbed his side against Brooklyn's leg and meowed up at him. Brooklyn laughed and picked up the cat, and held him in his arms. "And this is Cadney. He belongs to... a friend of ours. We're taking care of him until his owner comes back." He added with a hint of worry in his tone as he spoke; not taking his eyes off the cat in his arms.

Kori looked over at the group and narrowed her eyes at the ground; deep in thought. She looked up at the red gargoyle with confused eyes. "Are you missing someone?" She asked in a sad tone; showing them her opened heart.

Brooklyn looked down at the cat girl, and at the cat in his arms. He was about to speak, but Hudson beat him to the punch.

"Aye, our leader, Goliath is missing, and so is our watch dog, and human friend." He spoke in a worried tone, as he chose his words carefully. "They've been gone for a few months now..."

Kori looked down at the ground she was sitting on with a consentrated look on her face. "I know how that feels... But the one I'm missing can't come back to me..." She spoke in a hurting tone.

"Who are you missing?" Lexington asked in a sympathetic tone; placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Kori looked over at the yellow gargoyle and shook her head. "It's not important. Pay me no mind, shorty." She said in a sisterly tone; giving the tiny gargoyle a weak smile. "You have problems of your own to deal with."

Lexington blinked up at the girl with surprise in hie large eyes. "Shorty? Where'd that come from?"

Kori smiled and laughed at Lexington for a moment. "It's a nickname." She told him with a sweet smile. "You give your closest friends a nickname as a sign of friendship. Or at least that's how I look at it."

Lexington growled at Kori in annoyance and folded his arms over his chest. "I already have a nickname." He said in a snort. "It's Lex."

Kori winced and held up her hands in surrender. "I can take a hint." She told him in a lazy tone. "Wheather your nickname is "Lex" or "shorty", you're still you all the same."

"So, Kori, do you have a nickname?" Broadway asked in a curious tone; looking from Lexington, to Kori while trying to keep the peace between the human and his clanmates.

Kori chuckled and shook her head. "Nope. I'm just plain and simple, "Kori O'Shannon"!" She told them with a bright smile.

Hudson laughed at the girl's remark and smiled a fatherly smile at the girl. "Well, since yer feelin' better, lass, let's get you two inside before you catch yer deaths out 'ere." He told the two in a light hearted tone; picking Cadney up and walking inside the clock tower with the other two younger gargoyles following behind him.

Brooklyn stood up for a moment, but fell back down with a quiet hiss; grabbing his arm in pain. "Just my luck!" He cursed in a low tone; hoping the others wouldn't hear him.

Kori looked down at the gargoyle and knelt down before him. She pulled her messenger bag over to her, and opened it. She pulled out a fair-sized hankercheif from the bag and ripped it in half.

"Now hold still, and I'll make this quick and painless." She commanded in a firm tone, tying the make-shift bandage around his arm.

"You really don't have to do that, Kori. I'll be fine by tommorrow night." Brooklyn said in a reasurring tone; watching the girl wrap the bandage around his arm.

"Yeah, okay. So, I can't help the one who helped me out? That doesn't sound very fair to me, Brooklyn." Kori said in a playful tone, as she tied the make-shift bandage off and stood up. "Come on, Brooklyn. Let's go inside. I've had enough adventure to last me for tonight."

Kori held her hand out for Brooklyn and waited for him to take it. "Thanks, Kori." He mumbled in a pleased tone; taking Kori's offer, and pulling himself up with his good arm.

The two walked back into the clock tower, and found Hudson settled into his chair, and Broadway sitting not too far from him; watching the television. Lexington was sitting beside Hudson with his laptop in his lap, and typing away at it.

Kori followed Brooklyn over to the two gargoyles and settled down on his hunches beside Lexington and turned his attention over towards Kori.

"Come sit with us for a minute, Kori. It's not like we'll bite you or anything." He told her in a playful tone; patting a space beside him.

Hudson looked over at Lexington and grinned down at him. "Aye, lassie, there's no better company than us." He reasoned as he began flipping through the channels.

Kori rubbed her arm in embarrassment. "I really should be getting back home. I've actually got a few things to do before I go to bed."

Brooklyn's face fell in disappointment. "Oh, I see... well, I guess I can take you home if you want." He offered in a distant tone; his wings dropped hung slightly.

Kori picked up Brooklyn's saddness, and shurgged her shoulders. "Oh, what the heck? I guess I can hold off my errands for one night." She said in a reasoning tone; taking her seat next to the second in command.

After a few moments of watching the television and glancing over at the gargoyles, Kori decided to rumage through her bag and pulled out a sketchbook and pencil. She looked around the area for something to draw, and saw Cadney sleeping on Hudson's lap. She looked over at the cat for a moment, and began drawing a near perfect image of the cat in the sketchbook. She never turned her head in fear of attracting attention, but her eyes darted from her book, then to the gray feline.

Brooklyn's large ears caught the attention of the sound of faint scratching, and looked over at Kori and found her drawing Cadney. He was amazed at how calm she was drawing the tiny creature and how she wasn't scared of being sitting this close to him.

"Uh- what are you doing, Kori?" He asked, as he looked over her shoulder; trying to get a better view of the sketch.

Kori slammed her book shut and looked over at the gargoyle beside her. The action caught the attention of the other two, and caused her subject to wake up and stretched.

"Well, it's nothing much. It's just something I do at random..." She told Brooklyn in a modest tone; not looking up at him.

"Can I see?" Broadway asked in a curious tone, tilting his head to the side.

Kori held her sketchbook close to her chest in response. "I don't like others looking at my drawings..." She said in a quiet tone, looking down at her book pressed tightly to her chest. "It's nothing to do with you, it's just that- I hate being critized for my talents."

Hudson stroked his beard in thought. "I can see the logic in that."

There was a thick silence in the air, until a rapid beeping sound was heard from her bag; startling Kori in the process.

She pulled out a black beeper from her bag, and hissed at the message on it. She looked up at Brooklyn with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry, guys, but this body needs to get going." She said in a sad tone.

Hudson looked down at the girl with worried eyes. "Is... something wrong, child?" He asked like a worried grandfather.

Kori shrugged her shoulders and carefully stood up; pushing herself up using her knees. "It's just something that I need to get done as soon as possible."

Broadway looked over at Lexington, and shrugged their shoulders in confusion. Brooklyn stood up and folded his wings over her shoulders as he walked past her.

"I'll take you home, Kori!" Brooklyn said in a playful smirk; leading her up the stairs outside.

Kori blinked at the red gargoyle in confusion, and looked back at the trio remaining in the den, and waved to them. "It was nice meeting you all. I hope I can see you again... without being injured." She joked as she turned and followed Brooklyn outside.

"See ya, Kori!" They all called out in unison, before she could close the door.

"I like that girl." Lexington said in a thoughtful tone, and he looked down at his laptop.

Broadway nodded in agreement, as he swallowed a bite of a sandwhich. "Yeah, but she's so shy. It's like she's a bit- well, a loner."

Hudson chuckled at the plump gargoyle beside him, and folded his arms over his chest. "I'm sure she'll be fine, lad." He told him in a light-hearted warning. "It be the quiet ones ye should be worried about."

**Scene Change**

Brooklyn had been flying above the cities, and looking around the area, not knowing where to go. He looked down at Kori, and noticed she jumped when he left off the clock tower a moment ago when she grabbed him around the neck, and buried her face into his chest. She had loosened up after her body relaxed in Brooklyn's arms, and looked around at the lights all around her.

"So where do you live, Kori?" Brooklyn asked in a curious tone; hoping to land as soon as possible because of his injured arm.

Kori looked back at the gargoyle with a blunt stare. "Eleventh and Blinker. You could've just shown me the door, you know? It's not like I can't walk on my own." She told him in an even more blunt tone.

Brooklyn shook his head and laughed Kori's tone. "It's alright, Kori. I don't mind taking you home. Why would you want to risk another attack on the streets?" He asked in a challenging tone; smiling playfully at the girl in his arms.

Kori chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it doesn't matter to me, either way." She told him in a lazy tone, and she looked towards the apartments. She quickly spotted hers, and pointed it out. "There's my stop, Brooklyn." She told him in a straight-forward tone. "I can fix you something to eat while you're there."

Brooklyn coughed once grinned weakly at the girl. "I'm sorry, but I can't. Not tonight at least. I have to be back before dawn. It's kinda my cerfew." He said in an embarrassed tone.

Kori blinked in confusion for a moment, but let it go. "Some other time then? What about tomorrow night? I would like to get to know you guys better. I mean- It's not everyday I get to meet something out of the norm besides me, ya know?" She asked in a confident tone; giving Brooklyn her est smile, when he finally landed and let her down.

Brooklyn laughed out loud and looked over at Kori with laughter in his eyes. "You sure are an interesting human, Kori." He said in a laughing tone; placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'll see ya later." He said in a pleased tone; turning around to jump out of the building.

"Same here, Brooklyn! Be careful going home!" Kori said in a happy tone, as she watched him leap from the window and opened his wings, sailing away on the currents of the wind...

TPW: Okay, sorry for the clifhanger this early in the story. I like to keep my chapters at a certain length. Besides, it give me more chapters. More chapters means I have something to do after I get off work, and it gives my readers something to do. We both win.

And as always,

...-Smile until you stop-...

Special thanks to: White Hunter! My no. 1 fan ever! You're the best!

And to everyone else, please read and review!


End file.
